Lachenalia Jacq. f. ex murray plant named ‘Aqua Lady’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct form of Lachenalia plant characterized by a bulb plant type having a spreading growth habit of a height of 15-30 centimetres (cm) and width of 10-15 cm having a turquoise blue flower and green leave with maroon spots, further characterized in that the spots are relatively small in size and fairly pronounced in that it has a good contrast.

Genus and species: Lachenalia Jacq. f. ex Murray.

Variety denomination: ‘Aqua Lady’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofLachenalia, botanically known as Lachenalia Jacq. f. ex Murray havingthe common name of Viooltjies/Cape cowslip and hereinafter referred toby its variety denomination ‘Aqua Lady’.

The variety was first cultivated in 2008 and originated by means ofconventional breeding by the inventor during 2009 to 2010 at thepremises of Agricultural Research Council Vegetable and Ornamental PlantInstitute, Roodeplaat, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.

Asexual reproduction of the ‘Aqua Lady’ plant at the same location hasshown that the unique features thereof are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety ofLachenalia which originated from the controlled pollination between aLachenalia hybrid as seed bearing parent and a Lachenalia viridiflora aspollen parent as detailed hereinbelow.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics, under the local evaluation conditions, ofthe ‘Aqua Lady’ plant. These characteristics in combination distinguish‘Aqua Lady’ as a new and distinct Lachenalia cultivar:

-   -   1. Bulb plant type having a spreading growth habit of a height        of 15-30 centimetres (cm) and width of 10-15 cm.    -   2. Flower color: turquoise-blue (RHS #120B).    -   3. Leaf color: green (RHS #139B) with maroon (RHS #183A) spots.

Color references are made to The R.H.S. Colour Chart, 1^(st) edition,1966, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are usedor indicated otherwise.

Plants of the new Lachenalia variety ‘Aqua Lady’ can be compared to thevariety denomination ‘Rupert’ but differs in that the flower color of‘Aqua Lady’ is turquoise-blue (RHS #120B) compared to the purple of‘Rupert’. The maroon (RHS #183A) spots of the ‘Aqua Lady’ plant isfurthermore smaller in size, yet more pronounced in that it has a goodcontrast compared to the low contrast found in ‘Rupert’.

‘Rupert’ furthermore has a shorter peduncle and more dense inflorescencecompared to ‘Aqua Lady’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The first drawing illustrates the overall appearance of the ‘Aqua Lady’,showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain incolored reproductions of this type.

The first drawing comprises a front perspective view of a typical ‘AquaLady’ grown in an indoor nursery, but located in an outdoor setting.

The second drawing illustrates the overall appearance of the ‘AquaLady’, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtainin colored reproductions of this type. The second drawing comprises afront perspective view of a typical ‘Aqua Lady’ grown in an indoornursery, but located in an outdoor setting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned drawings, following observations and measurementsdescribe ‘Aqua Lady’ grown by the inventor on behalf of AgriculturalResearch Council Vegetable and Ornamental Plant Institute, Roodeplaat,Pretoria, Republic of South Africa. Thereafter ‘Aqua Lady’ was madesubject of a South African Plant Breeders' Right application in March2009. This application was granted in 2010 under number ZA20104392.

The plant is an early flowering cultivar and may be used for landscapingand should be planted during the month of March; indoors and in potsonly. The plant should be kept at temperatures of 20-25 degrees Celsiusduring the day and 10-15 degrees Celsius at night. Plenty of lightshould be provided.

‘Aqua Lady’ is a hybrid-hybrid cross containing the following Lachenaliaspecies: Lachenalia viridiflora, Lachenalia orchioides subsp. glaucina,Lachenalia bulbifera, Lachenalia quadricolor and Lachenalia rubida.

The female parent (GenBank accession number 1978/093/198) has flowerswhich are more purple with dark purple tips, but with the same flowerorientation as ‘Aqua Lady’.

The male parent is L. viridiflora (unnamed) which has blue flowers, butwith much less flowers, shorter peduncle and shorter inflorescence. Theleaves of this species are also shorter, with more pronounced spots ascompared to those of ‘Aqua Lady’.

‘Aqua Lady’ was originally produced sexually from a cross between thehybrid and L. viridiflora (unnamed) described above. A specific seedlingwith number 1992/125/012 was selected from this cross and thereafterasexually propagated. The asexual progeny of this seedling is thecultivar ‘Aqua Lady’ and was multiplied via tissue culture at thepremises of Agricultural Research Council Vegetable and Ornamental PlantInstitute, Roodeplaat, Pretoria, Republic of South Africa.

The following characteristics of ‘Aqua Lady’ are described withreference to description of said characteristic which are comparablewith the mentioned variety/ies having said similar characteristic.

-   Leaf: Monocolored.    -   -   Spots on upper side.—Present, small and with good contrast.

Variety having Description of similar Characteristic: ‘Aqua Lady’:characteristics: Attitude: Semi-erect ‘Romaud’ Length: Medium - 22.5‘Bontrok’, ‘Winsome’ cm Width: Medium - 4.8 cm ‘Rosabeth’ Ratio:length/width Large ‘Rodelein’ (elongated): 4.7:1 Shape: Oblong ‘Romargo’Color: Green (RHS ‘Roinge’ #139B) Leaf color designation for Green (RHSlower sides of the leaf #139B) Shape in cross section: Angular ‘Robyn’,‘Romelia’ Recurving of margin: Absent ‘Eliza’, ‘Rodelein’ Undulation ofmargin: Absent ‘Romelia’ Blistering and pubescence of Absent ‘Rodelein’,‘Rosabeth’ upper side: Spots on upper side: Present (Maroon) ‘Bontrok’,‘Roingec (RHS #183A) ‘Rosabeth’ Number of spots per leaf Amount differsfrom plant to plant, no exact number of spots per leaf Size of spots onupper side: Small to medium (1-2 millimeter (mm)) Density of spots onupper side: Medium ‘Roinge’, ‘Rosabeth’ Intensity of spots on upper Dark‘Bontrok’, ‘Roklara’ side: Markings on outer side of leaf Present‘Roinge’, ‘Rozanne’ base:

-   Peduncle:

Variety having similar Characteristic: Description of ‘Aqua Lady’:characteristics: Length: Medium - 16.5 cm ‘Rosabeth’ Peduncle colorMaroon (RHS #183A) with designation green (RHS #143D) Spots or markings:Present ‘Bontrok’, Rosabeth’ Coloration of Maroon (RHS #183A) pedunclespots Size of spots or Large (some cover the stem ‘Roinge’, Rolina’markings: and others are between 0.1-1 cm) Density of spots or Dense,close to each other: ‘Roinge’ markings: spots may be as close as 0.2 mm,but may differ

-   Bud:

Characteristic: Description of ‘Aqua Lady’: Color Turquois (RHS #121 C)with green (RHS #143D) tip

Inflorescense:

Variety having Description of similar Characteristic: ‘Aqua Lady’:characteristics: Length: Medium - 13 cm ‘Robyn’, ‘Roklara’ Rudimentaryapex: Conspicuous ‘Ronette’ Number of flowers: Few (20-30 ‘Bontrok’flowers)

Flower:

Variety having Description of similar Characteristic: ‘Aqua Lady’:characteristics: Description of floral organs Inflorescence containingindividual tubular flowers attached with pedicels to the peduncleAttitude: Horizontal ‘Robyn’, Romargo’ Pedicel: Present ‘Romelia’ Lengthof pedicel: Medium (2-3 mm) ‘Bontrok’, ‘Louis’ Length of flower:Medium - 2.8 cm ‘Lizelle’, ‘Rolane’, ‘Sonni’ Diameter excluding apex:Medium - 0.8 cm ‘Romargo’, ‘Romelia’, ‘Rosabeth’ Diameter at apex:Medium - 1.0 cm ‘Ronita’ Attitude of distal part of inner Straight‘Robyn’ perianth segments Glossiness: Absent Predominant color:Turquoise-blue ‘Ronita’ (RHS #120B) Intensity of predominant color:Medium ‘Gail’ Outer perianth segment: color Blue-green (RHS of basalpart just before #121A of RHS opening of flower color chart, 2ndedition, 1986) Outer perianth segment: color Blue-green (RHS of basalpart of fully opened #121A of RHS flower color chart, 2^(nd) edition,1986) Outer perianth segment: color Clearly different ‘Ronette’ of apexrelative to other part Outer perianth segment: color Turquoise-blue‘Gail’, ‘Robyn’ of apex if clearly different (RHS #120B) from other partInner perianth segment: Present ‘Ronette’ distinct spot in middle ofapex Inner perianth segment: color Clearly different ‘Louis’, Roinge’ ofmargin of apex relative to other part Inner perianth segment: colorPurple (RHS ‘Leipoldt’, ‘Louis’ of differently colored margin #81B) ofapex Inner perianth segment: Blue-green (RHS predominant color ofexposed #121A of RHS part (excluding differently color chart, 2^(nd)colored margin of apex) edition, 1986) Length of inner perianth Longer‘Roinge’, Rosabeth’ segment compared to outer segments: Extrusion ofstamens: Absent ‘Roinge’, Rosabeth’ Fragrance: Absent ‘Romelia’ Bulb:predominant shape: Oblate ‘Romaud’ Time of flowering: Early - flowering‘Celia’, ‘Lizelle’, time vary from ‘Sonni’ April to May (SouthernHemisphere) Duration of flowering: Medium (Up to 1 ‘Rodelein’, Roinge’and half to 2 months)

-   Others:

Characteristic: Description of ‘Aqua Lady’: Description of the bulbCream/white (color designation - RHS including size and color of the#158C) bulb at maturity Size: between 1.5 to 2 cm in diameter Time ofleaf growth/bud burst Starts within the first week of watering (normallyMarch/April in Southern Hemisphere) A description of any fruit and Noseed or fruit seed set Timing of leaf senescence After flowering hascompleted and starts to die down, the leaves start to die off (wheatcolor) and plant dry out (September-October in Southern Hemisphere)

The variety is not genetically modified and has been tested to be freeof Ornithogalum Mosaic Virus.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Lachenaliaplant named ‘Aqua Lady’ as illustrated and described herein.